


merman, not mermaid. it's merman

by sweetspacebaby



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Bilingual Lance (Voltron), Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Cuban Lance (Voltron), Gen, H2O: Just Add Water - Freeform, H2O: Just Add Water AU, Hunk & Lance (Voltron) Friendship, Hunk (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Hunk (Voltron) is so Pure, Insecure Lance (Voltron), Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, Lance (Voltron)-centric, Magic, MerMay, Merlance, Merman Lance, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining Lance (Voltron), Samoan Hunk (Voltron), Some Humor, Some Plot, h2o au, mermaid au, mermaid lance, some ages changed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2020-03-14 15:29:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18950890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetspacebaby/pseuds/sweetspacebaby
Summary: Off the coast of the mainland is an island that has been around long before humans walked the earth and it will still be around long after humans have gone. Around there are the largest population of sharks and sea turtles, some of which cannot be found anywhere else on earth. Off-shore there are coral reef sands and a number of wrecks. Throughout history, there have been peculiar happenings around the island, such as whirlpools and numerous ship wrecks and disappearances, giving it an eerie reputation.* // An H2O: Just Add Water AU focused on our favorite blue boy Lancey Lance!! I've been wanting to write this kind of AU for so long and I hope you enjoy!





	merman, not mermaid. it's merman

**Author's Note:**

> I finally finished college and just wanted to write about mermaid Lance for mermay to celebrate and to help get me out of my almost 2 year long hiatus... please be kind also shoutout to @notLavin on twitter for proofreading this disaster for me
> 
> *summary came from the Mako Island page on the Mako Mermaid wiki because I'm that rusty with this site and didn't know what to write besides the ending and I didn't want to do that...

The engine sputtered, trying its best to turn over but not able to find the spark it needed to come to life.

“It’s not going to start Hunk. No matter how many times you try.” Lance huffed as he sat at the front of the small boat.

“Well it needs to start! We can’t just stay out here drifting in the middle of the ocean!” Hunk was a nervous wreck. He didn’t want to go on the joy ride to begin with, but like always Lance talked him into the adventure and now they’re literally stuck trying to get out of the situation. “Why did you even think taking it out to the ocean was a good idea?”

“Hey,” Lance shrieked as he straightened his back, “Luis said that if I could fix the Zodiac after he left I could keep it! I fixed it and wanted to see just how powerful it was, it’s not my fault that the engine died out here.”

Hunk’s look of panic flattened as he stared at his friend. “You just admitted to fixing it, so this is your fault.”

Lance huffed out an annoyed sigh and turned away from Hunk, letting him continue his endless hope for starting the small inflatable boat. Yeah, they were in a bad situation by getting stuck out in the middle of the sea, but it was better than being stuck in the harbor still working on the questionable motor that Lance’s brother built himself. The harbor is crowded and clouded with seaweed and algae, but the ocean is open and blue and clear as far as the eye can see. Lance continued to scan the horizon and soon spotted one of the nearby islands, it’s far but much closer than the mainland.

Lance turned around and grabbed one of the paddles stashed under the seats in the boat. “Here, we can paddle over there, at least then we won’t float away.”

Hunk looked at the paddle and then up at the island that Lance mentioned. “There? Nope, no way, not going to happen. I think we should just continue to drift.”

“What other choice do we have? You want to get home, but we can’t do that if we just keep drifting around and don’t even think of paddling home because my arms would fall off before we reach the harbor.”

“But that place is surrounded by sharks and reefs, it’s not safe.”

“Well, it’s either death by sharks or death by drowning in the middle of the ocean and then eaten by sharks. Your call buddy.” Lance pushed the second oar at Hunk again.

Hunk looked down at the black paddle inches away from his chest and then frowned at his friend. He snatched the oar out of Lance’s hand and flipped it around to start paddling. Lance was right and that really annoyed Hunk, but he’s his best friend so he can’t stay mad at Lance for long. They paddled to shore with little to no trouble from the surrounding reef and no sharks in sight, despite Hunk’s warnings. After pulling the Zodiac to shore, making sure that the water wouldn’t pull it back in, the boys took in the island. The island was one not many people knew about or ventured to. On the outside it seems like just any other island, but whenever people did bravely step foot on its beach they have a feeling of mystery wash over them that can be either tempting or intimidating.

Lance pulled his phone out of his pocket, thinking that maybe having his dad yell at him would be worth him coming out and saving them before nightfall.

“I’m not getting a signal,” Lance muttered as he stared at his “no service” alert on his phone.

“Can you even get service out here? No one ever comes to this island so it’s completely underdeveloped.” Hunk looked over the island, seeing nothing but trees and the crater of the dormant volcano that formed it off in the distance.

Lance looked over the island as well, noticing a slight opening into the forest that they could walk into. “Maybe we can if we get to higher ground,” he said as he started to walk toward the tree line.

Hunk looked at his friend confused. Leave the boat?! That had to be the dumbest idea to do when you’re stranded on an island.

“Wait Lance, we shouldn’t leave the boat,” Hunk stated worriedly.

Lance continued to walk away but turned around to face Hunk as he did. “Do we really have any other choice,” he asked with his arms out as if prompting Hunk to throw an answer at him.

Lance turned and continued to walk into the forest, quickly disappearing from view. Hunk stayed on the beach looking back at the water and then back at the tree line a few times before giving in and running towards it yelling Lance’s name and for him to wait. The forest on was dense with the trees barely letting any light through the canopy. The ground was rocky, especially around the main river on the island. The two kept following the stream towards its source, eventually having to walk on the growing rocks that lined the water’s edge. Hunk’s nerves would get to him now and then and make him look back to check if he could still see the ocean or not. They have been walking for who knows how long with no real end in sight.

“Lance do you even know where you’re going?” Hunk finally asked as they reached the top of the small waterfall that broke the river’s stream.

Lance stood on one of the boulders at the top of the waterfall and held his phone up in the air. “Just up,” he answered as he stared at his “no service” alert on his phone.

“I don’t think you’re going to get a signal no matter how high you go,” Hunk admitted, hoping that it’ll stop Lance’s search.

“Maybe if we keep going just a bit more. If we don’t find a signal then we’ll turn back and go wait at the beach for someone to hopefully come by.”

Lance hopped a few of the rocks so that he could walk on flatter ground.

Hunk huffed, knowing that he was going to lose this battle and decided to just go along with it. He hopped a few of the rocks but stopped when he came to one with a gap bigger than the others. “I can’t jump this.”

Lance turned around and looked at Hunk, confused because he cleared the gap easily. “Sure you can! It’s not as big as you think.”

“Lance I can’t even see the bottom of the hole. I’m not jumping this.” The gap was deep. It was actually pitch black, with no end in sight and no hint of whether the hole was filled with water or gravel. Hunk looked around and back at the path he originally took. “Maybe there’s another way, or maybe we should just go back.”

“Hunk, it’s really not that bad.” Lance turned to walk toward the ledge of the rock on his side of the gap. “Come on. Just walk to the edge and jump.”

Hunk faced Lance to give his suggestion a try since he was unable to find a safer route to the other side – but he turned on his feet a little too fast. In a blink of an eye, Hunk turned, slipped on a slick spot on the rock and slid down in the gap between the rocks.

“Hunk!” Lance sprinted into action and jumped back over the gap and hurried over to look down it, hoping that it wasn’t as deep as it looked and praying that his friend would respond. “Hunk!”

The black gap echoed his cry as if a way to taunt Lance.

“Hunk! Are you ok?” Lance continued to yell, begging for a response for what felt like forever.

More silence.

“Hunk!”

Lance didn’t know what to do. Should he go down there? But if he did he would be trapped or hurt as well. Should he keep trying to find a cell signal and call for help? No way. Hunk was right the whole time and Lance was just too stubborn to admit it. Should he go back to the beach and try to flag someone down for help? But what if no one shows? No one ever comes to this island, not even researchers to study the reef.

“Hunk! Are you ok? Please answer me!”

One heartbeat. Two heartbeats.

“I’m ok!”

Hunk had finally answered, and Lance finally let go of a breath he didn’t know he was holding in.

Under the waterfall, Hunk looked around to figure out where he was. His vision was a bit blurred from the fall, but it quickly adjusted, allowing him to see that he was in some sort of naturally formed cave under the rocks above. The cave floor was covered in sand which turned into a blessing and was probably Hunk’s saving grace when he fell.

“Do you think you can climb out?” Lance yelled down the hole, hoping to get some more answers to whether he needed to search for help or not.

Hunk looked around the cave. The hole he slid down through was rocky, but smoothed.

“I don’t think so,” Hunk answered as he tried to get up, a sharp pain shoot through his ankle as he did.

“Are you sure?”

Hunk gripped his ankle and manually moved his leg so he could look at it. There was a massive scratch right on his ankle that had made the entire area turn read and swell. “Just great,” he mumbled under his breath.

“Hunk!”

“I can’t climb out!” Hunk snapped back, annoyed with what Lance’s stupid decision in the harbor had gotten him into.

There was no response from Lance that time. Hunk tried again to stand, being sure to keep some weight off his hurt ankle. The opening he was in in the cave was a bit cramped but had enough room to stand. At the other end of the cave, there was a small cut out leading to a different part. Hunk started to hobble over to the opening, hoping it was a way out but stopped when he heard something come down the way he did.

Lance slid into the cave behind him, instantly surprised by the cave soon after he landed but then concerned when he saw Hunk.

“What are you doing,” Hunk asked completely confused as to why Lance willing jumped into the gap.

“I wanted to see if you were ok.”

“Ok, but with both of us down here now, how are we going to get out?”

Lance opened his mouth to answer but then closed it when he realized that his impulsive concern outweighed his rational thinking. “Oh,” he sighed in response, getting a mocking echo from Hunk.

“I found this path, maybe it’s a way out.” Hunk pointed toward the cutout as Lance stood up. The thought was a long shot since no one knew of a cave system on the island or where it would open up to, but it was their only choice on figuring out how to get out and back to the beach.

The two walked down the long tunnel system of the cave for what felt like the same amount of time it took them to get to the small waterfall. The cave system was strange and something they were not expecting for an island that no one apparently has ever gone to. The caves and tunnels were vast and at one-point Lance and Hunk debated on whether they were man-made or natural. There were no clear tool marks on the walls and the rocks were smooth, but the paths just seemed to be too planned out to be done by mother nature. At one point, Lance mentioned that he could smell salt water and began to lead the way, occasionally having to stop for Hunk to catch up. The scent had eventually lead the two to another opening in the tunnel system, but this one had a small pool of water in it that sat under a hole at the top of the cave that opened all the way up to the sky. When looking up into the opening, the boys realized just how long they were on the island when they noticed that sky was changing colors as the sun set.

Hunk sat down on the sand in front of the pool, feeling completely defeated and tired as he laid back on the ground. “Our parents have to be worried about us.”

“That’s a good thing isn’t it,” Lance asked as he kept looking up at the sky, watching the colors change. “If they’re worried, that means they’re looking for us and have called someone for help. I told mamá I was working on the Zodiac today so I’m sure she’s sent my dad to check the dock by now at least.”

“But how are they going to find us when we’re stuck in here?” Hunk did make a valid point. They could try to retrace their steps and Lance could try and climb out the way they came, but they’ve made so many turns and had walked so far, it was probably better for them to stay where they were. Lance looked down at the pool and noticed something around the edge of it.

“Hey, there are tidal rings on this,” he said excitedly as he reached into the water to feel the grooves on the rock’s edge.

“So,” Hunk asked in a defeated tone.

“So, that means this water comes and goes with the tide and the tide is connected to the ocean and the ocean has to be coming from somewhere.”

Hunk propped himself on his elbows and looked at Lance unamused by what he feels will be suggested to do. “I’m not swimming through an underwater cave system.”

“But it could be our only option,” Lance argued back.

“No! No way! I am putting my good foot down on this one!”

“But Hunk-.”

“No Lance! You’re suggesting we do something that professional divers die from.”

“Not all the time,” Lance argued. “Besides, it looks like it’s a clear path here and back. I can swim it and see if we can make it.”

“You’re not going in there Lance. I know you grew up in the water, but just think for a second.” Hunk motioned up toward the opening. “The sun is setting, you are losing light. If you go in there now, that tunnel will be too dark for you to see and you could hurt yourself.”

“Hunk, I’ve done this before,” Lance said, hoping to ease his friend’s worries.

“Back home and you had a tank on your back.”

“I know how to control my breathing,” Lance argued. He knows how to swim in the ocean and has been a competitive swimmer for both open and closed water, so he had trained to control his breath and knows his limits. Lance sat down and started to unlace his shoes. “We need to find a way out and I got us into this, so I’m going to find a way out.

“I still don’t like it.” Hunk frowned as he narrowed his eyes.

“Your opinion has been noted.” Lance inched up to the edge of the pool and slipped in the water, feeling a rush of a familiarity come over him as he sunk under the water. It was definitely salt water and when under the surface, Lance could make out that there was a tunnel system that lead to somewhere. “I was right, the tunnel leads out to the ocean,” he said after resurfacing. “I’m going to swim out and see how far it is. I’ll be right back.”

Before Hunk could even protest, Lance took a deep breath and dived under the water and soon disappeared into the tunnel.

The feeling of loneliness hit Hunk right as he watched Lance disappear into the underwater tunnel. Right away he started to fidget and wonder the worse. He laid back down on the sand and looked up at the sky through the mouth of the dormant volcano. The sky was a bright purple, with a sliver of pink from the setting sun that was fading quickly. In a few moments the sky went from the vibrant purple it was, to a darker mix of purple and blue, and then a sea of black with the stars dotting the surface. Hunk sat up and looked back down at the pool, the water had darkened with the setting sunlight and the tunnel became hard to make out.

“Lance?” Hunk called out, knowing good and well that there was no way Lance could hear him. His nerves were getting to him, making his knee bounce in anticipation. Hunk started to pull at his fingers as he stared back and forth at the underwater tunnel and then at the sky above.

“Lance!” He yelled again in vain.

No response, which isn’t a surprise. Hunk looked up at the sky again to see that the sun had fully set now and that now the moon was making it way across the sky. Have they really been on the island that long? If they ever get off, their parents are going to kill them, but on the bright side they’ll be happy that they’re safe. Well, so far Hunk’s parents will be happy he’s safe. Lance’s parents?

“Lance!” Hunk yelled out again when the horrible thought of divers finding his friend’s body crossed his mind. How long has he been under? Did he get lost? Did a shark get him? Or worse, a poisonous fish?

“Lance!”

As if on cue, Lance could be seen swimming back through the tunnel and up to the surface, taking in a big gasp of air as he did.

“I was right,” Lance said between breaths, “the tunnel leads out by the reef. It’s about a 20 second swim out and then we can go straight to the sore from there.”

“You were gone for more than 20 seconds,” Hunk stated bluntly. “I was starting to get worried you got lost or drowned.”

Lance pushed his wet hair back and then grabbed for his shoes. “I had to find a way through the reef. When I found one I came back.” Lance tied his shoelaces together so that he could swim with them around his neck and under his arms. “Now are you coming?”

Hunk looked at the water, his fears getting to him again. “I don’t know. Maybe just you should go and signal for help. You can tell them where to find me.”

“Hunk, you and I both know I won’t be able to retrace my steps through this maze.”

“Ok, well while you swim out, I’ll retrace my steps and make it back to the waterfall.”

“No, you won’t,” Lance responded quickly. “Come on, I’ll be right there with you the whole way. You just get in, take a deep breath, and just swim straight out.”

Hunk looked down at his hands, contemplating his choices. Stay where he was and possibly starve to death while waiting for Lance to get help. Let Lance swim off by himself and have a second chance of getting hurt. Or he could suck up his nerves and just swim out with Lance and they both starve together.

“Ok fine.”

Starving together was a lot better than starving alone.

Hunk quickly took off his shoes and tied them just as Lance tied his and wrapped them around his neck and pushed each shoe under his arms after he stepped in the water. He briefly went under the water once he lost his footing and the deepness of the pool made Hunk have second thoughts. After he came back up for air, Lance reached out for Hunk’s arm and held him up till he was able to tread water himself.

“Ok, like I said, just take a deep breath, stay calm, and just swim straight and you’ll be out,” Lance instructed once again.

Hunk nodded his head even though his mind was screaming to get out. He paddled over to be as close to the tunnel as possible and inhaled the deepest breath he had ever inhaled before letting himself sink down to the tunnel’s level. Lance watched from the surface as Hunk started to swim into the tunnel and disappear.

He was about to ready himself to dive again when suddenly the pool seemed to start glowing. Lance froze as he looked around at the water around him and then up at the full moon above him. The water started to bubble as if it was boiling, but the temperature didn’t change. The strange activity shocked Lance and he kept looking around to find some kind of answer as to why all this was happening. The water started to bubble more, and droplets began to float out of the water and up at the moon. Lance looked back up at the moon as the droplets floated up, completely baffled by the event.

_ Hunk! _

The thought of his friend snapped Lance out of the water’s trance and back to where he was. As confusing and shocking the event was, Lance tried his best to ignore it and took a deep breath before diving under the water and hurried to catch up to Hunk. Once Lance was inside the tunnel, the strange activity in the water stopped as the moon slowly drifted past the volcano’s opening.

The swim out to the reef was quick and easy, well for Lance it was. Hunk gasped for air when he finally reached the surface.

“THAT WAS WAY MORE THAN 20 SECONDS!!” Hunk yelled after Lance finally reached the surface. “Where were you?”

“Don’t worry about it. The path I found is over-.”

The sound of a police siren and a spotlight made the boys freeze in the water. Pulling up near them was a white boat with a police department shield of it. Being dragged behind the boat was Lance’s Zodiac that they left on the beach, showing that they were definitely looking for them. They announced themselves as the local port police and instructed for Lance and Hunk to stay where they were and that they would come to them. When the boat finally came close enough to the boys, they started to board the vessel. As Hunk was boarding Lance could feel something calling out to him. He turned to look back at the island, thinking back to the strange experience in the small pool inside the volcano, noting to look up strange moon phenomena to help explain what happened.

The following morning was like any other morning with all the thoughts of the day before forgotten after no punishments were given. Lance’s alarm went off on time, he hurried to beat his sister Rachel to the bathroom, and now he was getting ready to start his day with a nice hot shower to wake him up.

There was a bang on the bathroom door. “Don’t think just because you almost died last night doesn’t mean you get to hog the shower all morning,” yelled Rachel from the other side of the door. “I refuse to use mamá and papa’s bathroom again!”

“Yeah, yeah you’ll get your turn when I’m done. Can’t guarantee there will be any warm water though,” Lance yelled back, enjoying the sound of his twin’s annoyed groan as her response. “You snooze you lose sis!”

“Oh, shut up!”

Lance smiled to himself, loving how easily his family fell into their routine after everything that happened. His mother was in complete tears last night when the police brought him back to the harbor – Hunk’s mom wasn’t any better. Lance was expecting a good butt chewing from his father, but instead he just got a warm, strong hug along with one from his twin sister. Once they were all home, Lance told them what happened, omitting some things about weird water tricks for obvious reasons. Everyone just expressed how thankful they were that him and Hunk were ok, and that Hunk’s ankle was only sprained and besides that neither of them were seriously hurt. When Lance finally went to his room for bed, he turned on his computer and was bombarded with messages from friends from the day, asking if he wanted to hang out or just sending him stupid memes, to messages of friends and family – even his older brothers and older sister – asking where he was and if he was ok. He quickly messaged everyone back, giving them quick updates so they weren’t left in the dark. But the real challenge will be when he gets to school, and the word gets around.

But that could be thought about when he was ready to cross that bridge. Now was time for his morning shower, his favorite part of his daily routine. Lance put his hand in the water before getting in and enjoyed the feeling of having the water wash over him, the warm temperature being a more pleasant experience than the cold ocean he had to swim in the night before. But the feeling was short lived.

Lance unexpectedly lost his balance while standing under the water and fell straight down into the combined tub, hitting his face on the hard plastic. He groaned from the pain as he tried to push himself back up but found it strangely hard to bend his legs. Lance looked behind him to see what was stopping him from getting back up and was met with something he thought he would never see outside of his dreams.

“Lance, mi hijo, are you alright?” Lance’s mother knocked and called out through the door a few moments later. “I heard a crash downstairs.”

Lance was in complete and utter shock at what he was looking at that he could barely make out what his mother had asked. His legs were gone. In their place was a tail, a mermaid tail. A golden scaled mermaid tail that overflowed out of the tub with the fin pushing through the shower curtain and hanging off the side.

“Lance? Are you hurt in there? Do I need to come in?”

“N-No!” Lance voice was caught in his throat, but he pushed it out. “I’m-I’m fine! Rachel’s soap tray just fell!”

Lance tried to push himself up again to roll to his side and tried to move his legs, telling himself that the fall made him hallucinate and see things and that his legs were really there and that his lie was true. But all that moved in front of him was the golden tail.

“I am totally not fine,” Lance mumbled to himself.

**Author's Note:**

> if you want to follow and see me cry about my struggles my twitter is @sweetbabyklance, I'm on there a lot more than my tumblr now and I promise I try to be funny sometimes... :D *finger guns*


End file.
